


A Letter to Alphonse

by Leni



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-05 20:41:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4194210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>post-Brotherhood anime.</p>
<p>"Of all the places to stay through the winter, Al had to pick one without a phone."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Letter to Alphonse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Evil_Little_Dog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/gifts).



> Written for ELD at [Comment Fic](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/490844.html?thread=72997468#t72997468) Prompt: **Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward/Winry or +Alphonse, Writing letters is hard.**

Winry looked up from her cooking at the sound of a growled curse followed by the tearing of paper. The pieces were thrown down among several others at the feet of the kitchen table, and Winry bit down a complaint about the mess. Cohabitation had taught her that Edward would take care of it, once he was done.

It might take some time until that happened, though.

"Damn Alphonse," her husband was muttering now, but he still grabbed another sheet of paper and laid it in front of him. If Ed's glare was anything to go by, he would have gladly set the whole of it on fire and let his brother come home when the whim struck him.

But family was important to Ed, and he wouldn't allow Alphonse to traipse around the world without hearing the news. If that meant struggling to put words to paper, then Ed would sit down, take his pen, and attempt not to jam it against the table in sheer frustration.

Winry chuckled when he did exactly that. That poor pen; it would be the third one this evening. "Having trouble?"

"Uh-huh," Ed grumbled. Then, testily, "Of all the places to stay through the winter, Al had to pick one without a phone."

Al's wanderlust had taken everyone by surprise - and none more than Edward. Whereas her husband was happy to stay in Resembool with no more than an occasional trip to Central or, if she insisted on taking him along, to Rush Valley, Al had waited long enough to regain a clean bill of health before he grabbed a suitcase and took passage to the furthest points of the country and beyond.

For all Alphonse came to visit - unannounced, most often, just like he never bothered with long goodbyes - news of him came ever from further away, and it was difficult to pin him down unless he called to let them catch up.

They were lucky that snowfalls had forced him to stick to one town.

Though, by the time the letter explaining the situation had made its way to Resembool, Winry had almost been forced to tie Ed to a chair so he wouldn't march off looking for his brother.

If the doctor hadn't confirmed her suspicions in time, Edward would have gone anyway.

"Even a telegraph station would have been nice," Edward continued.

"He's safe there," she reminded her husband.

He sighed, unwilling to say a good thing about the place that kept his brother away when he was wanted back home. "Let's hope he sticks around long enough to get this," he grumbled, then heaved a longer sigh. "If it ever gets finished."

"You'll get it. You've written him before."

"Sure," Edward said, tapping the pen - the bottom of it, at least - against the wood. "Insights about alchemy, and warnings about possible enemies." He shook his head at the latter, as if he couldn't believe anyone could dislike his little brother. "He's still too trusting, the fool."

"And this is different?"

"Yeah."

He didn't explain.

Knowing she wouldn't get anymore from him, Winry changed the angle of the conversation. "You could always leave it be. He'll return soon enough, and-" she turned to face him "-he'll certainly notice what's going on."

"No. I want to make sure he's here in time." Edward had been scowling as he said that, but his expression softened when he caught sight of her. A fond smile curved his lips. "But yeah, he'd notice at once." He chuckled even as he raised a hand to stroke her midsection. "You're so much bigger already."

Winry rolled her eyes. A smooth-talker, her husband certainly was not. "I'm _showing_ , Ed."

He nodded, impervious to the implied correction. "You really are."

She meant to swat his hand away and return to her chores, but in the end she just laid her hand on top of his. "You'll get it right, that letter. Don't worry."

Edward raised his eyes to hers, his smile now showing a shade of mischief. "I don't suppose...." And he waved at the blank paper, tilting the pen in his other hand toward her. His expression was now a perfect picture of helplessness, mixed with the belief that only Winry could make things right.

Winry laughed. She hadn't fallen for it when they'd been eight and he'd begged to let him copy her homework. "Your brother, your letter," she told him, stepping away from reach. She'd write Alphonse a letter of her own, but with these news, she wanted his brother's to reach him first. There _was_ a difference. "Get to it."

He started grumbling again, so she reached over to ruffle his hair. "Just tell him how you feel, Ed. Don't worry about making sense; he'll understand."

Edward took that in and, slowly, nodded his understanding.

A few minutes later, when Winry looked up again, it was to see her husband bent over the letter, the pen flying in his hand as he told his brother to hurry back home so he could welcome his first nephew (or niece) into the world.

 

The End  
22/06/15


End file.
